BLUE LAW, BLUE RIBBON, and BLUE-COLLAR WORKER: American English Idioms #22

Welcome to American English Idioms: Lesson 22. In this lesson you have 3 American English idioms to read, listen to, translate, and pronounce in English. Please focus and do your best so that you can learn and improve your knowledge of American English idioms. Don’t forget to use the comments section below to share your thoughts and what you’ve learned today.

Directions 1: Watch the video 2 or more times, and pay close attention to the audio and text.

Directions 2: Read the following text in English, then translate it using the translator on this page into your language if needed. When you finish, feel free to write a comment in the comments section below and let us know how you feel about what you’ve learned, as well as what you’ve learned.

BLUE LAW

Blue law is typically seen as a type of statute whereby the enactment of the law prohibits certain actions on Sunday, showing some affiliation with religion. The concept was first used in 17th century New England, although the term ‘blue’ only came about much later through usage by American police officers. It is unclear whether there is any religious connection to the usage of blue.

A blue law is a regulation which prohibits certain activities on Sundays. These laws are called “blue” because they were traditionally printed on blue paper, which was the background for all legislative acts in colonial America. The first blue law was enacted in Connecticut in 1650, making it illegal to travel more than 1 mile from home on Sunday morning or evening. Other restrictions include that no liquor can be sold, sports cannot be played, and entertainment establishments are closed.

BLUE LAWS are laws which regulate personal behavior such as going to certain movies, dancing, or playing cards. These laws were passed in rural areas of the United States where many people were of the same faith. Blue laws were created to enforce moral values on society and restrict behaviors opposed to these values. More specifically, blue laws prohibit activities that are deemed sinful by the general religious population that inhabits that area of the country.

BLUE LAWS are laws which regulate social behavior such as going to certain movies, dancing. The term “blue law” is believed to come from the blue paper that was traditionally used when a committee met to draft such legislation. This form of law is often met with debate due to its subjective nature and has been implemented in different forms throughout the United States.

A blue law is a law which regulates moral offenses and the enforcement of such regulations (usually amongst blue collar workers) in a time when there was no legislation. The term is derived from the fact that these laws usually forbid recreational activities on Sundays, such as dancing, going to certain movies, playing cards, and all other non-religious leisure activities. Blue laws were enforced by the Protestant (primarily Baptist or Methodist) churches in colonial America and still exist in some rural towns today.

BLUE RIBBON

A blue ribbon is
a symbol of excellence or recognition
given to a person or thing
as the result of competition.
The use of the color blue in this context has its origins in 13th-century England, where people would place sprigs of blue flowers on their horses’ heads as a show of pride. The blue ribbon is now often used as an award for winning something or being recognized for excellence.

A blue ribbon may represent first place or other awards and it is traditionally blue. It can also mean to win an award, such as a scholarship.

The term “blue ribbon” carries a strong connotation of success and excellence. In the context of academic work, this would be typically seen as an award given to the best student, with the intention of motivating other students to rise from obscurity and achieve more. A blue ribbon is also granted for service to one’s community or country, in order to illustrate that even good deeds ought to receive accolades.

The term “Blue Ribbon” has been used as a metaphor for first-rate quality since the 1800s. The term is rooted in its use as an award for first place winners in horse races, which was denoted by a blue ribbon on their horses.

The Blue Ribbon award, in the world of academia is renowned for being a reward for first prize in academics. It represents the top-tier of academic achievement in any given subject or contest, which is often determined by an individual’s grade point average in relation to their cohort.

BLUE-COLLAR WORKER

A blue-collar worker is a person who works in a low-skilled manual occupation. The term doesn’t refer to the color of their collar, but rather the class status of the occupation. This type of worker typically trades physical labor for a middle-class salary, and they are frequently found in construction, manufacturing, mining, and transportation industries.

A blue-collar worker is someone who assembles or restores manufactured products, or provides manual labor. This person is paid hourly with no benefits for the work done. They are usually an individual contributor to a team effort and often have less education than white-collar workers. A blue-collar worker may also be called a “skilled tradesman.

A blue-collar worker is a person who earns a living performing manual labor. The term derives from the fact that most work uniforms are blue, which contrasts with the white dress shirts and neckties traditionally worn by office workers, who were said to be wearing “white collars.” Blue-collar work is generally more physically demanding than white-collar work, which often involves sitting at a desk all day.

A blue-collar worker, also known as a manual laborer or someone who engages in unskilled labor, is an individual whose job requires physical effort and does not require a university degree. Blue-collar workers usually wear clothing that distinguishes them from the other members of the work environment and typically receive lower incomes than white-collar workers. However, blue-collar jobs typically offer more flexibility and less stress than white-collar jobs.

blue-collar work is defined as the act of getting paid to do manual labor. The idea behind this phrase is that these types of occupations are traditionally done by people who wear blue clothes, like construction workers or dockworkers. These jobs typically involve moderate physical labor and don’t require a college education, which makes them desirable for people with limited economic means. Jobs like this are prevalent in manufacturing industries, where the demand for labor outstrips the number of available skilled workers.